Fun with zucchini

So I think all of this recipe sharing is just great! On Sunday I finally had the time to figure out what to do with one of the enormous zucchinis my friend gave me from her garden. Brad and I pretty much spent the entire afternoon cooking with zucchini. We made zucchini cookies, zucchini bread, a kind of zucchini stir fry, and then froze more shredded zucchini for fun with zucchini on another day. I still have to try the zucchini chocolate cake and zucchini pancakes my mom sent me recipes for.

Anyhow, though all three zucchini recipes that I tried are fabulous, I wanted particularly to pass on the creation we made in the frying pan. My mom said that she used to just saute zucchini and onions with a bit of butter or oil, and then add tomatoes and sprinkle on some parmesan cheese. So we experimented with proportions and added some fresh pressed garlic too with a dash of salt and it was amazing! Really quick too. Next time you have zucchini, try it. I guarantee you'll like it!

Spaghetti Sauce = YUM!

It's funny how many people request this recipe after tasting it. You'll never go back to Ragu or Prego again! And it's so easy! Anyway, without further ado...

Spaghetti Sauce

4 onions chopped
4 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 lb. hamburger
3 large (28 oz.) cans tomatoes (blended or diced--or any combination)
2 6 oz. cans tomato paste (or one 12 oz.)
2 T salt

Sautee onions and garlic with olive oil and pepper in a large pot. In separate pan, brown hamburger and drain off fat. Add three large cans of tomatoes and two 6 oz. cans of tomato paste to sauteed onions. Add browned hamburger and salt.

*Note: I have never tried fresh tomatoes, but if you'll be using home grown tomatoes, I'm not sure if you need to cook the tomatoes first. You might need to either cook them separately or cook the sauce longer until they become tender. If you plan on blending them, you might not need to bother with cooking them separately at all. Play with it and see what you think. Three large cans of tomatoes should roughly equate to about 10 cups of home grown tomatoes once they're diced or mashed up.


It really is as easy as that! :) I used to get cans of whole tomatoes and then blend them, but I find that I enjoy diced tomatoes too for a chunkier sauce. Some people like it smooth and some people like their sauce to be chunky. My little brother hates the texture of onions, so he blends the onions too! You can do whatever suits your taste. This recipe makes quite a lot, so I always just freeze what's left over and then it's a super easy meal on a night when you don't have time (or just don't want) to cook. Enjoy!

Halloween Costume Test Trial

So it's only one more month until Lily's grand entrance (that is if she's on time). And since she'll be born in October, Brad and I were thinking about what her first Halloween costume should be. We were thinking it would just be irresistibly cute to dress her up as a lily flower--you know with her face being the center of the flower and the petals all around like an Anne Geddes photo or something.

So then Brad was trying to figure out what we should be to go with her, and I thought it would be cute to dress up as gardeners. But as I near the end of my pregnancy I've been feeling particularly big and full, so I thought of myself more as the flower pot than the gardener.

Then Brad got a mischievous smile on his face and asked me if people might think it inappropriate if we came to a Halloween party as the respective flower, flower pot, and gardener carrying a little sign that said, "I planted my seed in this pot and this is the flower that we got!"

So what do you think? Too scandalous?

Recipe Report: Caprese Style Shells

I made this the other night and it was so tasty! Thought I'd share! :)

Ingredients

Serves 4

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• Vegetable oil, for grates
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken cutlets
• 8 ounces medium pasta shells
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for pasta. Meanwhile, heat grill to medium; lightly oil grates. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Grill until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from grill, and cut into thin strips, halving if long.
2. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot. Add chicken, tomatoes, mozzarella, parsley, Parmesan, and butter. Toss to combine. Add reserved pasta water a little at a time to create a sauce that coats shells (you may not need all the water). Serve with more Parmesan.

So delish!

Nymbler

So, there's this great site I found that generates names based on names that you like. I think it's so great! Just for kicks, I put in all of our names and had it generate names. Here's what Nymbler came up with:

Benjamin
Katherine
Roderick
Adrienne
Anne
Jack
Terrance
Cristina
Joanna
Jacob
Reuben
Tasha
Jenny
Michael
Kenyatta

I thought it was kind of funny since I have also lived with Joanna, Jenny, and Adrienne. How many of your roommates have been named?

Domestic

Remember how we all used to tease each other about being domestic and highly marriageable? I seem to have fond memories of Katie using that phrase a few times. :)

Well, I really think that I became the epitome of Domestic today. My friend, Beth, and I went and picked peaches last week at an orchard just a couple of miles up the road from where we live. And today we canned them!!

I wish I had a picture for solid proof, but if you can just get the image of me, eight months pregnant, standing over a hot stove, in bare feet, canning peaches, then I think you will agree that it doesn't get any more domestic than that!

Beth has done a bit more canning than me (given that I've canned, well, nothing ever before!), but had never tried peaches, so it was an adventure for the both of us. We attempted two different recipes: a light syrup regular hot pack, and a peach pie filling. It was a lengthy, hot process, but I think that we got the hang of it and that the cans turned out well. The true test won't come for several months because what's the point of canning if you eat everything you canned in two weeks? But I sure am anxious to try a peach pie out soon...

So if you have any questions about canning send them my way because, if I wasn't before I certainly am now, Domestic. :)